New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani drew attention over the weekend when he was unable to complete a single unassisted bench press rep at the annual Men’s Day open streets event in Brooklyn.
Video from Saturday’s event shows the 33-year-old Democratic nominee attempting to lift a bar loaded with 135 pounds but needing assistance from a spotter. He managed two fully assisted reps before standing up and crediting the spotter, who was from the group 500 Men Making a Difference.
The moment quickly spread online, with critics dubbing him “Mamscrawny.”
Lolll Mamdani tried showing off at a “men’s day” event by doing the bench press and couldn’t do a single rep without help pic.twitter.com/JNG2SLBfI9
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 24, 2025
Rivals Seize on Viral Clip
Political opponents were quick to respond. Mayor Eric Adams, 64, released a video of himself performing multiple unassisted reps at the same location, with the same spotter nearby.
“64 vs 33. A lifetime of hard work vs. a silver spoon. The results speak for themselves,” Adams wrote on X. “The weight of the job is too heavy for ‘Mamscrawny.’ The only thing he can lift is your taxes.”
64 vs. 33. A lifetime of hard work vs. a silver spoon. The results speak for themselves.
The weight of the job is too heavy for “Mamscrawny.” The only thing he can lift is your taxes. pic.twitter.com/HR6fDPKn0B
— Eric Adams (@ericadamsfornyc) August 24, 2025
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running an independent campaign for mayor, also weighed in.
“It’s easy to talk, it’s hard to carry the burden,” Cuomo posted. “This guy can’t bench his own body weight, let alone carry the weight of leading the most important city in the world.”
Mamdani’s Day at Men’s Day
While the bench press attempt fell flat, Mamdani participated in other activities at the event, including a soccer challenge in which he removed his shoes before kicking balls at an inflatable dart board.
He also joined a DJ set and delivered brief remarks, thanking organizers and telling attendees:
“It is such a pleasure to be here, and I want to say thank you to the organizers for celebrating what makes this community beautiful. I look forward to being your next mayor next year.”
The Men’s Day event is held annually at the end of summer and features outdoor gyms, music, and car shows.
